TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2009

DARK HORSE COMICS FOR JULY

3 STORY: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE GIANT MAN

Written and art by Matt Kindt.

What would it be like to stand head and shoulders above everyone else -- and to keep growing? Unable to interact with a fragile world that isn't built to withstand your size? To live in a house that doesn't fit you anymore -- with a wife who doesn't either?

Craig Pressgang's life is well documented in his official CIA biography, Giant Man: Pillar of America, but the heroic picture it paints is only half the story. The continuous growth caused by Craig's strange medical condition brings a variety of problems as he becomes more isolated and unknowable. Told in three eras by three women with unique relationships with Craig, 3 Story follows his sad life from his birth to the present.

192 pages, $19.95, in stoes on Sept. 23.

ALIENS #2

Written by John Arcudi, pencils and cover by Zach Howard, inked by Mark Irwin.

A strange, abandoned city of impossible scale lies ready to give up its secrets, but at what cost? Jealously guarded by a half-mad group of planetary prospectors, the labyrinthine necropolis may be a treasure trove of incomparable wealth, or a funeral complex with no exit, as an archaeological team from Earth discovers too late. But these off-planet interlopers soon become the least of the prospectors' worries, as their priceless possession offers up a monstrous surprise of murderous beasts from the darkest abyssal nightmare . . . and the prospectors only hope may lie in the unmarked graves of those they themselves betrayed.

Footsloggers and soldiers of fortune, priests, poets, killers, and cads -- they fight for a future Galarchy, for cash, for a cause, for the thrill of adventure. Culled from the forgotten and unwanted of three galaxies, they are trained to be the most elite, and expendable, of fighting forces. Sometimes peacekeepers, sometimes shock troops, the Legion is sent into the Galarchy's most desperate internal and external conflicts. Legionnaires live rough and they die hard, tough as tungsten and loyal to the dirty end.

352 pages, $24.95, in stores on Sept. 9.

BERSERK VOLUME 31

Written and art by Kentaro Miura.

Escaping the port city of Vritannis is no easy task, for even the finest ship is useless if it can't be reached, and a horde of Kushan monsters stalks the city's docks. Led by a powerful necromancer who has mastered both the elements and the monsters of the deep, this hideous brigade may be too much for Guts the Black Swordsman and his companions to handle, even if Guts and Schierke are able to join forces and control the awful wrath of the Berserker armor. And will it even matter, if the Kushan emperor makes Guts an offer he can't refuse?

208 pages, black and white, $14.95, in stores on Sept. 30.

BLOOD+ ADAGIO VOLUME 2

Written and art by Kumiko Suekane.

For the three hundred years that the Romanov dynasty has been in power, they have led Russia through an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity, but recent peasant uprisings and a sickly heir have destabilized this once-proud royal family. In a desperate move, the Romanovs have unknowingly employed one of Diva's original Chevalier -- whose motives are not to cure the ailing Prince Alexei Romanov, but to create an army of perfect, blood-craving Chiropterans! Using his influence to gain test subjects, this mysterious Chevalier has performed horrifying acts in the name of science, and he now has Hagi, Saya's Chevalier, in his clutches! On the eve of the Russian revolution, it's up to an unseasoned and unsure Saya to save Hagi, destroy the Chiropteran experiments, and track down her murderous twin sister before a horde of warrior Chiropterans are set loose to terrorize the unsuspecting Russian masses! But first, Saya will have to struggle with her conscience if she is to be strong enough to kill those of her friends who have been turned into monsters!

184 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on Sept. 2.

BRIDE OF THE WATER GOD VOLUME 4

Written and art by Mi-Kyung Yun.

Gods and mortals alike are in love with Soah! Driven from her husband Habaek's magical kingdom, Soah's life back on Earth has been pretty miserable so far, despite her many admirers. With Habaek's mother and some of his supposed friends conspiring against him, will the cursed Water God finally come to his senses and rescue Soah?

Humor, drama, and a bit of horror combine in this story, as Soah tries to uncover the truth behind her strange husband's curse and his previous wife's early, brutal demise. Complicating everything, Habaek -- her powerful, moody husband -- must live in the form of a little boy during the day, returning to his true adult body at night.

176 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Sept. 9.

B.P.R.D.: 1947 #1

Written by Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart, art by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.

In 1946, the Nazi Occult Bureau's Project Vampir Sturm threatened to destroy the fragile peace following the end of the Second World War. A year later, the B.P.R.D. learns that there are creatures far older -- and far more dangerous -- than the Nazis' creations, as a lone vampire nobleman ruthlessly hunts the survivors of the Third Reich.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores July 8.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #26

Written by Jane Espenson, pencils by Georges Jeanty, inked by Andy Owens, colored by Michelle Madsen, covers by Jeanty and Jo Chen.

Team Buffy has become all about sneaky in a world where Slayers are now feared and hated, and vampires would rank at the top of a popularity poll. All hands are on deck as Scotland's brand-newest Slayer headquarters comes under attack; but, when things get more than a little fried, Buffy has to punt. There are yaks. Presenting Buffy on the defensive in "Retreat."

Buffy's world goes awry when former-classmate-turned-vampire Harmony Kendall lands her own reality TV show, Harmony Bites, bolstering bloodsucking fiends in the mainstream. Humans line up to have their blood consumed, and Slayers, through a series of missteps, misfortunes, and anti-Slayer propaganda driven by the mysterious Twilight, are forced into hiding.

In Germany, Faith and Giles discover a town where Slayers retreat from a world that has turned against them, only to find themselves in the arms of something far worse. A rogue-Slayer faction displaces an entire Italian village, living up to their tarnished reputation as power-hungry thieves. And finally, with the help of a would-be demon lover, Dawn addresses her unfaltering insecurities.

Collects issues #21-#25 and the short stories "Harmony Bites" and "Vampy Cat Play Friend" from MySpace Dark Horse Presents!

160 pages, $15.95, in stores on Sept. 9.

CITIZEN REX #1

Written by Mario Hernandez and Gilbert Hernandez, art by Gilbert Hernandez.

"What compels life without a soul?"

Comics legends Gilbert and Mario Hernandez join forces to present a bizarre, sexy view of the future and what it means to be human. Twenty years ago, the most famous, lifelike robot in the world was engulfed in scandal, arrested, and deactivated. Since then, an anti-robot movement has developed, while body modification is in and prosthetic limbs have become hot, black-market items.

Stories like these are the stock-in-trade of gossip columnist Sergio Bauntin, whose startling revelations earn him the constant scrutiny of both the mob and the city's mysterious investigators, the Truth Takers. When Sergio catches wind of sightings of the long-missing robot celebrity CTZ-RX, all of these interests will collide in violence and intrigue.

24 pages, black and white, $3.50, in stores on July 8.

CLASSIC SIMPSONS CHARACTERS #3: MARGE SIMPSON

While the statuettes in the series were originally based on characters from newspaper strips, in this companion series Dark Horse is featuring Syroco's uniquely "primitive but charming" treatment on one of the modern era's most iconic, if dysfunctional, families‹ none other than the Simpsons. We are excited to present the third release of the group‹Marge, with Maggie in tow. She puts up with sooooo much!

Packaged in a special litho-printed, full-color tin box with a vintage-style pin-back button and booklet, limited edition of 550 numbered pieces, $49.95, in stores on August 5.

CLASSIC UNCLE SCROOGE CHARACTERS #2: DONALD DUCK

Dark Horse announces a new license with Disney. We're giving one of the comic-book medium's most revered casts of characters the Syroco-style treatment in a new series of statuettes based on Uncle Scrooge stories. Our second offering in this line is Donald Duck!

Packaged in a special litho-printed, full-color tin box with a vintage-style pin-back button and booklet, limited edition of 950 numbered pieces, $49.95, in stores on August 5.

Natohk's horde of desert warriors advances on Conan's band of mercenaries and the remnants of the once-proud Khorajan army -- and the Battle of Shamla Pass begins! Earning the trust and admiration of his fellow soldiers, Conan impresses everyone with his natural leadership skills and tactical instincts -- but that hard-earned respect may be for naught if those defending Princess Yasmela and Khoraja are massacred by Natohk's monstrous forces. From his vantage point on a plateau, Conan looks down on his opponent, as a sea of approaching swords fills the valley. Things go from bad to worse when Natohk unveils some supernatural, deadly, and horrifying surprises. Conan's first command may be his last! The Battle of Shamla Pass begins!

What's black and white and clawing its way onto your reading list? It's the newly resurrected Creepy, of course! Now, don't fret, my putrid pets -- these new terror tales are cut from the same cursed cloth as the outlandish originals, telling contemporary horror stories with gorgeously ghoulish art from a lineup that'll make you lose your head! Original Creepy artist Angelo Torres teams up with devilish Dan Braun on "Hell Hound Blues"; Michael Woods and artist Saskia Gutekunst serve up a dose of "Chemical 13"; Neil Kleid and Brian Churilla provide "All the Help You Need" at a weird weight-loss camp; and jaundiced Jason Shawn Alexander brings his phenomenal painting skills to Joe Harris's "The Curse"! Plus Bernie Wrightson, the return of "Loathsome Lore," and more. All this, plus one classic story from Uncle Creepy's dank dungeon, and you've got 48 freakish pages of terror to bring home to mummy!

48 pages, black and white, $4.99, in stores on July 15.

DETHKLOK VS. THE GOON

Written by Eric Powell and Brendon Small, art by Powell, colored by Dave Stewart, covers by Powell and Jon Schnepp.

"In the histories of fictions there is many historious meetings . . . Frankenmasteins meets the Wolfmans . . . Scooby-Doos meets the Globetrobbers . . . and of course the Godzilla meets the little fat black kids from Diff'rent Strokes. But those are all for the douches. Now . . . we have come to make crossovers metal. Be prepareded for the most brutal meetings of alls times! Dethklok versus The Goon!"

From Eric Powell and the creators of Adult Swim's Metalocalypse: since 2006, Metalocalypse has been bringing its special brand of dark comedy to the masses through the American/Scandinavian death-metal band Dethklok. And, since 1999, The Goon has contributed the best in bucktoothed zombie brawls to the world of comics. Now, the twain shall meet . . .

Coming in late 2009 from Dark Horse -- Metalocalypse the comics series!

32 pages, $3.50, in stores on July 15.

EMILY THE STRANGE #1

Written by Rob Reger, art by Buzz Parker.

We all know Emily the Strange is the world's weirdest thirteen-year-old, but do you have any idea how that came to be? Would you believe that Emily wasn't always the curious and confident stranger we know today? After three years and a slew of great short-story explorations of Emily's eclectic life, creator/writer Rob Reger and artist Buzz Parker are back with the first full-length Emily comic-book series! For any girl, a thirteenth birthday is a big deal, and that's doubly -- even triply! -- true for Emily. Emily doesn't know it yet, but a surprise gift from a long-lost aunt is more than just a family heirloom -- it also holds the key to unlocking the mystery of her lineage and the secrets of her fate! Unfortunately, a strange creature called El Viego knows what Emily doesn't, and he has no intention of letting Emily keep her mysterious heirloom!

32 pages, $3.99, in stores on July 15.

GUNSMITH CATS: BURST VOLUME 4

Written and art by Kenichi Sonoda.

Back from hiatus, the long-awaited return of Gunsmith Cats continues in this fourth exciting volume! The road race may be canceled, but the gunplay continues, with our girls Rally and Minnie-May in the middle as usual. The bounty hunters and the rest of the Gunsmith Cats gang are in for lots more action as Kenichi Sonoda keeps bringing the goods in the book where T&A stands for triggers and ammo!

192 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Sept. 16.

HELLBOY: THE ICE WOLVES

Written by Mark Chadbourn, art by Duncan Fegredo.

In Cancun, Mexico, police investigate a slaughter at a wedding ceremony. In Dublin, Ireland, the clientele of a backstreet pub are found dead. In Kyoto, Japan, the bullet train pulls into the station with blood-spattered windows. It is the time of the Black Sun. Across the world, the wolves are calling to each other. Locked in bodies that had no idea they were there, they rise from the depths of the unconscious and turn towards America . . .

For Hellboy, it's a race against time to prevent a devastating wave of primal savagery washing across the land. And so he is drawn to Boston's Beacon Hill and the Grant Mansion, believed to be the most haunted house in New England, where the truth may lie buried.

256 pages, $12.95, in stores on Sept. 30.

INDIANA JONES ADVENTURES VOLUME 2

Written by Mark Evanier, art by Ethan Beavers.

When sixteenth-century stone carvings of animals start to go missing from museums across the globe, authorities think it's a simple case of burglary. But Indiana Jones and Marcus Brody think otherwise. Legend has it that the statues serve as a key to finding a mysterious ruby, which is said to make its bearer invincible. It's up to Indy to find the statues and the ruby before it falls into the wrong hands!

88 pages, $7.95, in stores on Sept. 23.

THE MARQUIS: INFERNO

Written and art by Guy Davis.

In eighteenth-century Venisalle, faith governs life and death, and the guilty hide their shame behind masks, showing their faces only in the secret rites of the confessional. It is to this stronghold of the Inquisition that the souls of Hell have escaped to possess the living, spreading sin, murder, and chaos. Amid the carnage, one man is blessed with the clarity to recognize the demons that prey on his countrymen -- and the means to return them to the fires of Hell. But as the stakes rise, the lines separating good and evil begin to blur, and the Marquis -- the dark avenger whom even demons fear to cross -- finds himself torn between the blind faith that has defined his life and the bitter truths exposed under his new sight.

Even as Gendo plots to submit his entire staff to aerobics training, the sinister SEELE has sent Kaworu Nagisa to sabotage Gendo and Yui's more private objectives . . . which means he's soon enrolling in Shinji's class! Such a pretty boy starts turning heads inside homeroom 2-A . . . even Shinji's‹which causes Rei and Asuka to agree to join forces, on the grounds that Kaworu's presence could cause trouble for NERV. The irony is that, even if that's just their excuse -- they're right!

The biggest names in comics crime fiction assemble for an anthology of original tales of murder and deceit, presented in glorious black-and-white!

104 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Sept. 30.

PICTURES THAT TICK

Written and art by Dave McKean.

Pictures That Tick collects Dave McKean's groundbreaking short comics stories from the 1990s and early 2000s. A true iconoclast, McKean mixes illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and digital art for a comics experience unlike any other.

Some pieces are poignant, some are silly, but all are beautiful and thought provoking. Each is completely unique, and gathered together they represent a tour-de-force achievement. A perfect companion to McKean's Cages, Pictures That Tick stretches the boundaries of comics art, and the short-story format allows him to create an even broader artistic vision.

184 pages, $19.95, in stores on Sept. 2.

RAPTURE #3

Written by Michael Avon Oeming and Taki Soma, art by Oeming, colored by Val Staples, covers by Oeming and Mike Allred.

After a year without heroes, the world is in shambles. Enter Evelyn Town -- a new champion appointed by a mysterious power called the WORD to take vengeance for those unsettled souls murdered on the altar of cannibalism.

Ultimate power corrupts. and Evelyn has learned a lot about the spear that gives her strength -- will the siren of power seduce her? Will it corrupt another champion, obsessed with Gil and his music, or will it bring harmony and balance to a world thrown in chaos?

Is this power enough to bring Evelyn and Gil together or will it tear them -- and the world -- apart?

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 29.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS #7

Written by Henry Gilroy and Steven Melcing, penciled by Scott Hepburn, inked by Dan Parsons, colored by Michael E. Wiggam.

In the first part of a three-issue story, the Republic's air superiority on the world of Khorm is rendered moot by storms of unnatural origin. Grounded, Jedi Kit Fisto and Plo Koon plan a daring assault mission with a squad of tougher-than-nails Republic Commandos. But if going up against determined and dug-in Separatist forces wasn't enough, the Jedi must also contend with a glory-seeking young Republic officer in their midst, Captain Kendal Ozzel.

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 15.

STAR WARS: DARK TIMES -- BLUE HARVEST #0

Written by Mick Harrison, art and cover by Douglas Wheatley, colored by Dave McCaig.

Former Jedi Dass Jennir accepts a job that puts him on a collision course with not one, but two deadly outlaw gangs!

For the first time in print, here are the introductory chapters to "Blue Harvest" from MySpace Dark Horse Presents. The sixteen pages of story are presented two ways: first in color as they appeared online, and again in their raw, penciled beauty.

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 29.

STAR WARS: INVASION #1

Written by Tom Taylor, art by Colin Wilson, colored by Wez Dzioba, cover by Jo Chen.

A new series comes to Dark Horse's Star Wars line! After its special sixteen-page preview on starwars.com, Star Wars: Invasion continues in print!

This series is set twenty-five years after the Battle of Yavin. The Jedi, and the galaxy, are facing their first real threat since the Sith were defeated: an invasion of hostile warriors called the Yuuzhan Vong.

The forces of the New Republic and the fledgling New Jedi Order stand ready to face the invaders, but they've never seen anything like the Yuuzhan Vong! Luke Skywalker is about to discover that it's not his galaxy anymore . . .

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 1.

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #43

Written by John Jackson Miller, art by Bong Dazo, colored by Michael Atiyeh, cover by Benjamin Carre.

"The Reaping," part 1 of 2.
An unprecedented new adventure begins -- leaving former Padawan Zayne Carrick clinging to the side of a comet!

When Zayne and crew infiltrate a comet mine, his partner Gryph believes it's another clever con to capture some quick cash. Little does Gryph know, Zayne and Jarael have other intentions -- like rescuing the miners enslaved by this ruthless mining operation.